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After the ‘cool’ days in Denmark, the 2022 Tour de France caught fire on stages 4 and 5 – All the action with reports quotes and video from France, plus three more stages of the Giro Donne. Mathieu van der Poel having a hard time at the Tour – TOP STORY. Race news: The Tour de France in Denmark: The Yellow Fever and Finisher – New sponsor of La Vuelta. Team news: Development Project Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert and Baloise to stay with Sport Vlaanderen. Rider news: Egan Bernal might return in the Vuelta a Burgos, Thomas De Gendt extends with Lotto Soudal, Arjen Livyns first new signing for Lotto-Dstny, Euskaltel-Euskadi signs Xabier Berasategi and Bioracer’s ‘My Journey My Jersey’ launches with Tom Pidcock. The Paul Sherwen Project goes for the yellow jersey at the Tour de France 2022.
TOP STORY: Thomas Dekker: “It will be a difficult Tour for Mathieu van der Poel”
Mathieu van der Poel hopes to get in the action in the Tour de France in the coming weeks, but former rider Thomas Dekker has his doubts. Dekker expects a ‘difficult Tour’ for the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider. “There are few opportunities,” said Dekker on Monday.
Mathieu van der Poel started the Tour de France with a 5th place in the opening time trial through Copenhagen, but tried to stay away from the bunch sprints on Danish soil. In the first week, at least on paper, there are still plenty of opportunities for the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider. Dekker sees it differently. “I feel like this will be a difficult Tour for Van der Poel.”
“Wout van Aert is currently faster and is also a better time trialist. Van Aert is also very good at the stages that remain. Then there will be racing, but in the Tour that is not done as often as in the Giro d’Italia. We often saw him riding at the front of the pack there. Van der Poel is just not the best uphill and there are also few rolling stages. Wednesday’s cobble stage is a great opportunity for him, but that day too… There are few opportunities.”
Van der Poel was one of the main attackers in the past Giro, but the Tour is different according to Dekker. “This is a different level than in the Giro. It is more nervous, the specialisation is greater in certain areas. Van der Poel is an all-rounder and will probably conjure something out of his top hat. It’s just not going to be easy.”
Van der Poel himself is particularly looking forward to Wednesday’s stage, where the dreaded cobbles are on the program. Dekker: “Of course he will race on Wednesday, because then those cobbles will be there. If he wins on Wednesday, then his Tour is successful and it doesn’t matter anymore. Van Aert will be his biggest competitor, but Van der Poel has the great advantage that Van Aert will still have to look after Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard.”
“But then there is also the bad luck, the riders who can’t ride the cobbles very well, the classification riders… It’s going to be a race within a race. We saw that when Lars Boom won that stage. There are many interests.” Dekker also has his reservations about Thursday’s stage to Longwy. “We are just going to get a lot of clarity on Wednesday and Thursday. If I see him now racing and then that climb on Thursday… I estimate Van Aert higher at the moment.”
“Van der Poel has to hope that there will be a few more stages where twenty riders will escape and that he will be there. But really getting away from the favourites and the strongest riders at the supreme moment is very difficult. He coloured the entire race in the Giro and then he only won one stage. You just don’t win a competition that easily, especially when the specialism is getting so big,” said Dekker.
Mathieu van der Poel hoped to play a leading role on the cobblestone of stage 5 of the Tour de France on Wednesday. Afterwards, the Dutchman was clear in his analysis. “I am currently a shadow of myself and that is frustrating,” he told WielerFlits.
“It’s not really positive. Instead of a better day, I was worse today. I am currently a shadow of myself and that is frustrating. I have no idea what it is about. I am not really ready to burn at the moment,” Van der Poel does not look for excuses. “In the stages in Denmark I didn’t really notice it yet, but I already felt that I wasn’t racing with extra. If they start racing fast, it’s really on the limit for me.”
Before the start of the stage, Van der Poel still had hope that things would go better. “You hope for a slightly better day, but I soon felt that the weather was not working. I have not had the desired legs since the time trial. I hope it will come, otherwise it will be a long Tour.”
“In the Giro d’Italia it was good, but also not excellent. I don’t know… The run-up to the Tour wasn’t very good either, except for the last week before the Tour. That was positive again, but before that it wasn’t the case either. I haven’t reached the level I have in mind for a while. The only perspective now is to continue and hope that things will get better later.”
The Tour not going so well for Van der Poel:
Tour de France 2022
Wout van Aert took a solo victory in Calais on Stage 4 after he was second in all the stages in Denmark. The Belgian extended his lead in the overall classification on the eve of the cobbled stage to Arenberg. Jasper Philipsen won the bunch sprint 8 seconds after the Maillot Jaune crossed the line, Christophe Laporte was third.
Anthony Perez (Cofidis) attacked from the gun, quickly followed by Magnus Cort (EF Education-Easypost). They had an advantage of 6:39 after 25km of racing before Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl got organised at the head of the peloton. The time difference was down to 4:45 at the top of Mont Cassel where Cort took one more KOM point to secure his polka dot jersey for at least two more days. Quick-Step put the hammer down on the descent and split the peloton into three. The time gap went below 4 minutes, but went up again as the bunch slowed down after regrouping. Perez was first at the intermediate sprint in Lumbres after 63km.
Perez and Cort had a maximum lead of 7:15 at 80 kilometres. Lotto Soudal, Alpecin-Deceuninck and later Trek-Segrafredo upped the tempo. As Cort took his ninth consecutive KOM victory at côte de Nielles-lès-Bléquin, he made sure he would keep the polka dot jersey until stage 7 to La Super Planche des belles filles. He continued collecting KOM points at côte de Harlettes (102.7km) where the gap was 2:25 and côte de Ventus (123.6km) where the peloton was only at 1:15. After the second last climb, Perez attacked to go solo with 45km to go. Perez was reeled in before the top of Cap Blanc-Nez with 11 kilometres to go as Van Aert passed him after his Jumbo-Visma team led him out up the climb. The Maillot Jaune pushed on by himself after Adam Yates and Jonas Vingegaard couldn’t hold his wheel. Van Aert was in time trial mode to the finish line in Calais to take a spectacular stage victory, his seventh at the Tour de France, but the first with the yellow jersey on his shoulders. Jasper Philipsen was second and also celebrated, not knowing that Van Aert had already finished ahead of him.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner and overall leader, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): “The sports directors told us over the radio that our leaders (Primoz Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard) were with their main competitors. That was a perfect opportunity for me to go for the stage win. This stage was important for the battle for green, because it was perhaps too difficult for the real sprinters, while fifty points were to be earned. I had to go over the limit and it was a fight for ten kilometres, but the result was great. The yellow jersey gives me wings. This is certainly one of my career’s most stunning victories. Winning in the yellow jersey is very special. Fortunately, I can start in this beautiful jersey again tomorrow. We did some impressive things as a team today. This was a perfect day for our team.”
2nd on the stage, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “For five seconds I thought I had won. It will have been nice images, but I would not have wanted it that way. I didn’t know he was in the front and didn’t hear it on the radio. Too bad, because I thought I was riding for the win. The sprint was good, but unfortunately it was not for the win. That Kristoff also thought he was riding for the win? I was the one who crossed the finish line first after Wout and was celebrating, so I’m now embarrassed. We thought it was going to be a sprint. I didn’t expect someone to ride off alone. The disappointment is great now. I’m making a fool of myself, but that’s how it is now.”
4th on the stage, Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “My teammates offered me a nice birthday. They were great, and thanks to Sven Erik Bystrøm and Andrea Pasqualon I was the sprinter with the best lead out in the final kilometre. Thanks to their efforts, I managed to launch the sprint first just before the sign of the final 200 meter. Maybe I was a little too eager, but I wanted to make sure that I preceded the fastest competitors such as Jasper Philipsen. In the end I was only overtaken by two riders, which is satisfying. The fatigue will progressively start to influence the bodies of the sprinters, which means that more opportunities will come for us. Collectively we can build on this performance for the next days.”
7th on the stage, Danny van Poppel (BORA-hansgrohe): “On the last climb I went too deep in the beginning, and I had to ease off a little and find my rhythm then. The climb was also longer than expected, but I stayed calm and came back quite quickly. I tried to do the sprint then, but it was not easy as there was not much organisation left. I also had to invest already during the day as our main priority is always to stay safe with Aleks. But another top ten is a good result for the team and I am happy as well.”
3rd overall, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “What was I doing today when Jumbo-Visma launched their attack? I was riding my bike and fighting for positions in the bunch [laughs]. We could expect something like that. Wout van Aert was clearly the strongest today, he smashed everyone. He is a deserving winner. It was not a stressful day, it was a little better than Denmark. It got faster at the end and Van Aert was on fire. Coming into the climb it got a bit hectic. We knew that, if there was one team that could pull off something like this, it was Jumbo-Visma – they have done it before, and they are super strong. And indeed they were the strongest today. I was coming from behind as Van Aert was taking off. When I saw he had dropped Jonas Vingegaard as well, I stopped being worried because I realised that, if anything, we would chase back together. Tomorrow will be a more difficult stage. I look forward to a big day, with no difficulties nor crashes for us. We will all have great fun – especially the guys watching from the couch!”
KOM, Magnus Cort (EF Education-Easypost): “It’s a great day because I love to race at the front. Moreover, I’ve taken five more points for the KOM classification, I couldn’t hope for more. I wondered if it was worth fighting the 12th point but I decided it wasn’t. I calculated that I already had enough points to keep the jersey for a few days. Mørkøv lost it ten years ago at La Planche des belles filles, I’ll try to do better and I just need a few more points until then. It’s feasible. I didn’t know that I had beaten the old record of Bahamontès in consecutive KOMs. I love statistics but I don’t feel that I’m at his level. I don’t know how many more days I’ll wear the polka dot jersey but at some stage I hope I can try to win a stage again during this Tour de France.”
Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe): “That was a strong move from Jumbo. But I was in good position because the team did a great job again the whole day. I didn’t take any risk in the downhill before the climb and as a result I already had a small gap in the corner before the climb. But my legs have been good again, I was with Pogačar then, but actually all GC favourites came back together quite fast and in the end nothing happened.”
Tour de France Stage 4 Result:
1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma in 4:01:36
2. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:08
3. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma
4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
5. Peter Sagan (Slk) TotalEnergies
6. Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-KTM
7. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
8. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
9. Michael Matthews (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
10. Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Cofidis.
Tour de France Overall After Stage 4:
1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma in 13:02:43
2. Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:25
3. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 0:32
4. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo at 0:36
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:38
6. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 0:40
7. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 0:41
8. Adam Yates (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:48
9. Stefan Küng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ
10. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:49.
Tour’22 stage 4:
Australia’s Simon Clarke claimed his maiden Tour de France stage victory as the early breakaway remained off the front on Stage 5. The Israel-Premier Tech veteran, aged 35, pipped Taco van der Hoorn on the line while Edvald Boasson Hagen finished third. Wout van Aert who crashed before the cobbled sector and waited for Jonas Vingegaard who had punctured retained the yellow jersey by 13 seconds over break rider Neilson Powless.
KOM jersey holder Magnus Cort (EF Education-Easypost) went on the attack again even without any KOM points on offer. Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) and Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) went with him. Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) launched a counter-attack. He was joined by Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost) and Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels-KTM). They formed a six-man breakaway after 21.5 kilometres. Van der Hoorn won the intermediate sprint at Mérignies (37.2km), the bunch was 2:40.
Van Aert crashed at kilometre 57. He was back in the peloton before the first cobbled sector where a maximum time difference of 4:15 was recorded for the break after 75 kilometres. The time difference was 3 minutes between the first and second cobbled sectors. Ben O’Connor was the first of the GC contenders affected by a mechanical 50km before the finish. While stage favourites like Peter Sagan and Mathieu van der Poel were dropped, Jonas Vingegaard had a puncture with 37 kilometres remaining. Van Aert who was also in difficulty waited for his Danish team-mate. Next on the ground was Primoz Roglič before cobbled sector 5.
The leading group was reduced to five men after Gougeard was dropped with 26 kilometres to go. Jasper Stuyven attacked on cobbled sector 3. Pogačar joined him, looking at ease albeit without any team-mates. Boasson Hagen, Cort, Powless, Van der Hoorn and Clarke reached the 10km to go with 45 seconds lead over Pogačar and Stuyven. Cort lost contact on the last cobbled sector with 5K to go. Powless who was the virtual Maillot Jaune in the finalé surprised his breakaway companions by attacking them from behind under the last kilometre banner, but he was caught with 400 metres to go. Boasson Hagen took a bit of an advantage, then Van der Hoorn looked to have the win, but Clarke pipped him on the line. The Australian was in the break of stage 5 to Arenberg in 2014, but it didn’t work out that time. Thanks to the huge amount of work by Van Aert for Vingegaard along with their team-mates, the Belgian retained the overall lead while Roglič lost over 2 minutes to Pogačar.
# You can see more photos in the full ‘PEZ Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech): “To be honest, to start with, I didn’t think I had won. I was still a long way behind Taco with only a few meters to go and I just threw the bike as hard as I could at that finish line. I still didn’t believe it until I saw the photo finish. What a day. I never expected to win a cobblestone stage. Especially because they only happen every four years or so. I am happy with any stage and just try to make the most of these opportunities. I came here to go in breakaways and today was the first day the team said ‘let’s go’. First, I thought we were going to get caught because there was a big push from behind and the gap came down quite a lot, but I had hope because we had such a strong breakaway with guys like Taco van der Hoorn and Edvald Boasson Hagen and Neilson Powless. So I thought if there is ever a chance, then today is the day with this group. What a rollercoaster this year has been. But sometimes you don’t get the best out of yourself until you are put under extra pressure. I am an optimistic person and I try and always believe that things happen for a reason. This winter was a bit challenging but I found a solution and I promised to never look back and make the most of every opportunity and that’s what I did today.”
Overall leader, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): “Unfortunately, such hectic days as today are also few and far between. After my crash, the shock wasn’t good. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be the only bad luck within our team. It was chaos today. Yesterday we fought at the front, today we were forced to fight in the rear. I’m proud of the whole team that we fought really hard. I didn’t expect to still have the yellow jersey on my shoulders now. I wasn’t even thinking about that at all. Christophe Laporte and I stayed with Jonas. I think we fought back fairly well. It was a true thriller, but not what we had hoped for.”
2nd on the stage, Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “So close to the victory. I almost won a stage in the Tour de France. It is of course a disappointment. I planned this breakaway since the parcours of this edition was revealed. I knew that there was a chance today, because the peloton would be more concerned about protecting the GC leaders then about chasing the breakaway. So I went immediately and our group of six collaborated well. We maintained a high rhythm and when our advantage was more than 3 minutes, I knew that we could make it to the finish. But I also knew that it wouldn’t be easy against fast riders such as Clarke or Boasson Hagen and a duo of EF. In the final kilometer, I took advantage of the speed of Boasson Hagen to launch my sprint, which was probably a little too early. Clarke came next to me in the final meters. I had to wait several minutes for the verdict. There were only a couple of centimeters between Simon Clarke and me. But between finishing second and winning, there’s a huge difference.”
7th on the stage and 4th overall, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “It has been a good day after all. The cobbled sectors were really hard, but I was feeling good. Maybe it looked easy on TV, but be sure it has not been easy at all. The key moment has been when I held Stuyven’s wheel going into the finish. We worked well together, although at some points I was struggling to not get dropped. Fortunately, I’ve stayed with him and that has allowed be to end the stage with a good result. I can be happy.”
KOM and 5th on the stage, Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost): “I’m a bit sad to miss out on the stage win and the yellow jersey for the team. But I was happy to be in the breakaway with Powless. It was out goal to put Neilson in the break because it was safer to be there. We managed to come close. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the stage win or the yellow jersey but we can be happy with the way we rode. It was a hard and fast day. We went full gas all the way.”
Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe): “Actually, it was a nice experience today, even of course it was a stressful day. The boys did a great job, we have been always in front on the cobbles, and I could enjoy the ride somehow. It was a good race for us, and I am personally also happy with the day. I had a puncture between the first and second sector, but there was enough time to come back. In general, a big thanks to the guys because they always kept me out of trouble and in some parts, we were able to put some pressure on the others.”
Primoz Roglič (Jumbo-Visma): “I’m glad I could continue. I had to sit down for a moment to put my shoulder back. That was very painful, but I know how to act in such a situation. I gave everything in pursuit. I can’t blame myself or the team for that. Hopefully I will recover from this soon. We will continue to focus on our goals with the team.”
Tour de France Stage 5 Result:
1. Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech in 3:13:35
2. Taco van der Hoorn (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies at 0:02
4. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:04
5. Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:30
6. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo at 0:51
7. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
8. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 1:04
9. Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
10. Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-KTM.
Tour de France Overall After Stage 5:
1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma in 16:17:22
2. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:13
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies at 0:14
4. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 0:19
5. Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:25
6. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo at 0:36
7. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 0:40
8. Adam Yates (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:48
9. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:49
10. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:50.
Tour’22 stage 5:
Giro Donne 2022
Annemiek van Vleuten took over the Giro Donne on Monday. The Movistar rider defeated a strong Mavi García in the sprint after a tough ride in and around Cesena. Marta Cavalli crossed the line in third place, 43 seconds behind the winner. The other GC riders finished nearly 5 minutes later.
After a rest day and a lot of travel, the riders started again in Cesena. The route of the third stage followed partly the same roads as the famous Nove Colli granfondo. These are roads that legend Marco Pantani trained on regularly. The riders climbed Bertinoro (3.9km at 4.9%), Colle del Barbotto (4.3km at 8.2%), Monteleone (1.9km at 6.9%) and the uncategorised Via Castello di Carpineta. The top of this climb was 10 kilometres from the finish.
In a fast first hour of racing several riders tried to escape, but their attempts were nipped in the bud. Franziska Brauße was ahead of the pack for a while, but the German rider from Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling was quickly caught. It turned out to be a harbinger of a lightning-fast and above all spectacular final. The race exploded completely on the Colle del Barbotto, although the TV cameras missed the most important attack of the day. The GC riders went ‘full gas’ on the steepest part of the Colle del Barbotto. Annemiek van Vleuten, two-time winner of the Giro Donne and top favourite, Marta Cavalli and Mavi García turned out to have the best climbing legs and rode away from the opposition. On the ensuing descent of the Barbotto, the difference between the three and the first chasing group only got bigger. Van Vleuten, García and Cavalli didn’t look back, worked well together and started the Monteleone (1.9km at 6.9%) with a lead of 2 minutes.
In the chasing group it was up to SD Worx to do the work, but the three had already flown. Van Vleuten, García and Cavalli would end up with the three of them fighting for the stage win and the pink jersey, although they still had to survive the steep slopes of the Via Castello di Carpineta. On this climb, Van Vleuten continued in her typical style, but García and Cavalli didn’t flinch and had an answer to her first attack. García must have been feeling good and decided to take the lead. With a long acceleration, she managed to push Van Vleuten and Cavalli to the limit. The Italian was the first to be dropped, but Van Vleuten managed to hang on, García and then attacked three more times. Spain’s García had no intention of giving in, so two front runners started the final 7 kilometres together with some flat roads towards the finish. Cavalli was still casing.
The winner of the Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne was stuck at 10 seconds behind the two leaders, but Van Vleuten and García wouldn’t be caught and would sprint it out in Cesena. García tried to play on the surprise with 600 meters to go and made a very long sprint. Van Vleuten was attentive, went full-out through the last corner and managed to keep García from the stage victory. The 39-year-old Dutchwoman, who will end her career next year, is also the new leader. García is at 25 seconds and Cavalli at 57 seconds, are still in contention. The differences in the GC top-10 is now quite big. Elisa Longo Borghini, 4th overall, is now at 5 minutes to Van Vleuten.
Stage winner and overall leader, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar):“Today’s is maybe a lesson learned from Johan Cruyff, the famous Dutch football player, that ‘attacking is the best way to defend yourself.’ We knew beforehand that this was going to be a really tricky stage, with tricky descents, bad asphalt – as a GC contender, you don’t want to put pressure on yourself on days like that, you want to stay safe, and so you have a different mentality on the descents, not taking risks. On the other hand, there could also be an option that they would try to put me under pressure on the downhills, on the climbs halfway through, and so I thought attacking was the best way to reduce the group. It was a surprise for me, because I thought more girls would follow me, because it was the first climb of the day, after the rest day – it hadn’t been so hard, but it was so warm today, which might have also played in my favour. We ended up with only three at the front – in the finale, I have to say they were both really strong. I only, really attacked on the last, non-GPM climb, 13km from the finish, and Mavi was strong and took over from there. It was a bit of a flashback from Strade Bianche two years ago, where she also did that. I also knew that, on a longer move, I would be able to match her and get back. We could not drop each other, but we did drop Cavalli, and so we worked together until the finish. Cavalli is faster on a finish like that, so it was important to leave her behind. Mavi attacked just before the tunnel on the final kilometre and surprised me a bit, 600 meters to go – I wasn’t immediately on the wheel, but made it back with 200 meters to go and rode full gas to the finish. My point with regards to the race lead is that we already had the jersey on our shoulders, even if it wasn’t physically – I was one of the GC favourites, and it was just that the jersey was not with us. I think the other teams were looking up to us, whether we had it or not. For me, it doesn’t make a difference – I don’t think we need to put the team to the front, either. It doesn’t really make a difference. I’m so proud to wear it already – now it doesn’t matter what happens after that.”
Giro Donne Stage 3 Result:
1. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar in 3:13:13
2. Mavi García (Spa) UAE Team ADQ at 0:01
3. Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 0:43
4. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service at 4:51
5. Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
6. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
7. Elise Chabbey (Sui) Canyon//SRAM
8. Erica Magnaldi (ita) UAE Team ADQ
9. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
10. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) SD Worx.
Giro Donne Overall After Stage 3:
1. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar in 8:46:33
2. Mavi García (Spa) UAE Team ADQ at 0:25
3. Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 0:57
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 5:00
5. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 5:13
6. Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco at 5:14
7. Elise Chabbey (Sui) Canyon//SRAM at 5:21
8. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) SD Worx at 5:28
9. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 5:29
10. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service.
Giro Donne’22 stage 3:
Elisa Balsamo won Stage 4 of the Giro Donne. In Reggio Emilia, the Trek-Segafredo World champion was the strongest in the bunch sprint. Charlotte Kool crossed the line in second, Marianne Vos was third. Annemiek van Vleuten kept the pink jersey.
After the tough stage around Cesena where Annemiek van Vleuten successfully took the pink jersey, the Giro Donne continued with a relatively easy stage from Carpi to Reggio Emilia. The ride over the Po Valley had few climbing metres, so it would be a stage for the fast-finishers of the peloton. The first and second stage had ended in a sprint with Elisa Balsamo and Marianne Vos as winners.
There was a leading group of five for a long time. Matilde Vitillo (Bepink), stage winner in the Vuelta a Burgos, teammates Giorgia Bariani and Iris Monticolo (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), former British champion Hannah Barnes (Uno-X) and Latvian champion Anastasia Carbonari (Valcar) had a maximum lead of 5 minutes, the teams of the sprinters held them at that point. At 40 kilometres from the finish, the peloton accelerated and the breakaway’s lead started to shrink. With 17 kilometres to go, the difference was only 1 minute and Bariani jumped away from the front. The 21-year-old Italian, recently seventh in the national road championship, tried go alone from then on and went all out.
She would lose her battle against the peloton and was caught 4 kilometres from the finish. Then it was up to the sprinter’s trains to position their leaders as best as possible. At the last kilometre banner there was a big crash, but the race went on at the front of the peloton. Elisa Balsamo was the first through the last corner 200 metres from the finish line and held out until the finish. For Balsamo it was her second stage win of this Giro Donne. Earlier she won the stage to Tortolì. For the World champion it was her eighth victory of the season on the road.
Stage winner, Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo): “We had studied today’s stage well, especially the last kilometres. The goal was to take the last corner in the lead, because we knew it would be decisive. I went into the last corner in the wrong gear and lost a bit of speed before I could get going again, but I was able to correct in time and sprint at my best. I think it was a good sprint and a nice challenge between top sprinters like Vos, Consonni, Bastianelli and, in particular, Charlotte Kool. She is a strong rider, one of the fastest riders in the pack. I know her well, she can’t sprint often because she is an important lead-out for Wiebes. My balance in this Giro is positive. It’s my first entry, and I couldn’t ask for more. I’m really happy. Also today my team has done a super job to put me in the best position and I am super happy to have repaid their efforts. I dedicate my success to them.”
Giro Donne Stage 4 Result:
1. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo in 3:05:02
2. Charlotte Kool (Ned) DSM
3. Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
4. Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
5. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
6. Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Movistar
7. Rachele Barbieri (Ita) Liv Racing Xstra
8. Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
9. Emanuela Zanetti (Ita) Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria
10. Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT.
Giro Donne Overall After Stage 4:
1. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar in 11:51:35
2. Mavi García (Spa) UAE Team ADQ at 0:25
3. Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 0:57
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 5:00
5. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 5:13
6. Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco at 5:14
7. Elise Chabbey (Sui) Canyon//SRAM at 5:21
8. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) SD Worx at 5:28
9. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar – Travel & Service at 5:29
10. Erica Magnaldi (Ita) UAE Team ADQ at 6:10.
Giro Donne’22 stage 4:
Stage 5 of the Giro Donne was won by Marianne Vos. The Dutch rider, who also won the third stage, was the fastest of a select group after a hilly stage. Despite a bad moment on the last climb, Annemiek van Vleuten remains in the lead on the GC.
The fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia Donne started in Grumello del Monte and was largely on a circuit. Five laps of about 18 kilometres, which included the climb to San Pantaleone (1.8km at 5.6%). The finish was in Bergamo, but in the last 5 kilometres there was the Citta Alta, this climb, known from the Tour of Lombardy, is 1.6 kilometres and just under 8%.
The stage started without Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma Women). The Dutch champion crashed on Monday’s stage and decided to stop today. She is now going to prepare for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. It was fast in the first part of the race and on the San Pantaleone, Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM Racing) took all the points for the KOM. Nobody managed to get away. Francesca Pisciali (Mendelspeck) went on the attack and later Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo) and Kristen Faulkner (BikeExchange-Jayco) also tried. After they were caught, Alessia Vigilia (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) went off the front. Marketa Hájková (Bepink) and Eukene Larrarte (Bizkaia Durango) tried to cross.
On the last climb of the San Pantaleone, with just under 30 kilometres to go, the attackers were caught one by one. After the descent, 20 kilometres from the finish, Victoire Berteau (Cofidis) went solo. She gained 1 minute, but in the final kilometres towards the Citta Alta her lead narrowed. At the foot, she only had 30 seconds. Once on the climb, World champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) rode on the front for her teammates. Lucinda Brand took over, initiating an attack from Elisa Longo Borghini. Only Marianne Vos and Mavi García could follow. García was only 25 seconds behind Annemiek van Vleuten overall. The wearer of the pink jersey had been behind a crash on the Citta Alta and had to chase. On the descent, Van Vleuten, with a few other riders, got back and there would be a sprint from a small group. Vos started early and managed to hold off Lotte Kopecky for her 32nd victory in the Giro Donne.
Stage winner, Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma): “It’s very cool to take another win. I didn’t expect to take two stage wins in the Giro d’Italia Donne. After my first win, the pressure was off, but I also wanted to seize the next chance. During the local laps, finding the right position for the climb was important. Ultimately, every climb was a sprint, after which we also had to sprint to the finish line. The team did very well after the first win. Even when I got second and third, they kept the confidence. I wanted to finish it for them and I’m happy it worked out.”
Giro Donne Stage 5 Result:
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 2:58:30
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx
3. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
4. Kristen Faulkner (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
6. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar
7. Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
8. Mavi García (Spa) UAE Team ADQ
9. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
10. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
Giro Donne Overall After Stage 5:
1. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar in 14:50:05
2. Mavi García (Spa) UAE Team ADQ at 0:25
3. Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 0:57
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 5:00
5. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 5:13
6. Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco at 5:14
7. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service at 5:25
8. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) SD Worx at 5:28
9. Elise Chabbey (Sui) Canyon//SRAM at 5:47
10. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope at 5:55.
Giro Donne’22 stage 5:
The Tour de France in Denmark: The Yellow Fever
The northernmost Grand Départ of the Tour de France led to a popular craze that exceeded all expectations. From the teams’ presentation in the heart of Copenhagen to the finish of stage 3 in Sonderborg, the riders were treated to a noisy, warm and respectful honour hedge of more than 400 kilometres. The Danish television channel TV2 recorded an average market share of 78% during the first three stages. Never seen before!
The tears of Jonas Vingegaard, touched by the welcome he received in the Tivoli theme park, are already part of the iconography of the 2022 Tour de France. Spectators who did not have the privilege of being among the 15,000 present for the teams’ presentation then flocked to the sidewalks of Copenhagen, defying the rain that watered the time trial in the heart of the capital on Friday afternoon. They were even more numerous to witness the conquest of the polka-dot jersey by Magnus Cort between Roskilde and Nyborg, then to greet their new national hero, who escaped alone towards Sonderborg. About two million Danes travelled to watch the race during this unprecedented sequence, out of a total population of around six million.
But what did the Danes who didn’t attend the Tour de France between 1st and 3rd July do? The figures published by the national channel TV2 indicate that they have largely followed the stages of the Tour in front of their screens, since the market shares reached up to 86% of the people who turned on their television. A peak of 1,100,000 viewers was even recorded for the finish in Sonderborg, just before Dylan Groenewegen’s sprint victory. A way to greet the peloton massively before flying to the French territory.
Frederik Lauesen, Head of Sports at TV2 Denmark: It has been a fairytale for us at TV2 to experience and to cover the Tour de France’s visit in Denmark. We know that the Danish people love the tour, but the incredible interest from the team presentation in Tivoli Gardens to the stages in our country has after all surprised us in a very positive way. The Danish people have shown their love for the Tour in a way, we would never dream of. The images of the streets and roads full of enthusiastic crowds literally all the way from start to finish will remain with us forever. This was a once in a lifetime experience in many ways and we are equally proud and humble at TV2 to have played our part in this. We will forever be thankful to the Tour de France and the passionate people who worked hard to make this happen. The viewing figures are extremely high, and we are very pleased. It is safe to say that a great number of the Danish people has taken part in this fantastic event and enjoyed the visit of the world greatest cycling race either along the streets or on our platforms.”
Julien Goupil, Head of medias and partnerships at A.S.O. “It was absolutely fantastic to see such a big Danish crowd. The audiences of TV2, historical partner of the Tour (since 1989) are absolutely exceptional and confirm our desire to make the Tour de France accessible to as many people as possible by broadcasting it on free-to-air generalist channels in Europe thanks to the partnership established with Eurovision Sport. These impressive results in terms of audience concern both the broadcast of the live feed of the first three stages and the traffic on TV2’s digital platforms, which has quadrupled. More than ever, the race has attracted crowds, either on the roadsides or in front of TV. A market share of 78% on average… Never seen before!”
Key numbers:
- During the first three days of the Tour de France, TV2/TV2 PLAY has been in contact with 2,362,000 Danes across stages and studio broadcasts. That’s almost a doubling compared to the interest we saw for the Tour’s first three days last year.
- The first three stages are seen by an average of 767,000 Danes (viewer shares from 72 percent to 86 percent) and at the 3rd stage – at the end of the route – the number of viewers peaks with 1,095,000 Danes who follow the final sprint through Sønderborg.
- The stages are the most viewed 1-3. stages ever, and for all Tour stages, we need to look back more than 10 years to find similar levels.
- On TV2.DK & apps, the interest is also overwhelming, with the first three days of the Tour de France content showing a quadrupling of traffic compared to previous years.
Finisher – New Sponsor of La Vuelta
Finisher®, Kern Pharma’s range of health and sports nutrition products, joins the La Vuelta family as a new official sponsor. Launched in 2017, its product line is aimed at people with healthy lifestyles and as supplements for athletes. Its cycling catalogue includes gels, energy bars and other nutritional supplements.
Manuel Garrido, General Director of the Kern Pharma pharmaceutical laboratory, was pleased with the new sponsorship agreement: “For Kern Pharma, becoming an official sponsor of La Vuelta, the best cycling event in Spain and one of the best in the world, is further proof of our commitment to sports and a clear indication of our dedication to cycling.”
With this agreement, Finisher® strengthens its commitment to high-level professional cycling. Its La Vuelta debut joins the ranks of the brand’s other cycling sponsorships, including La Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, since 2020, the reVolta, the women’s edition of the Catalan tour and the Itzulia.
“We are thrilled to welcome a brand like Finisher®, that is so committed to cycling, to the La Vuelta family” declared Javier Guillén, General Director of Unipublic. “Finisher® has already successfully collaborated with La Volta and the Itzulia I am sure that our collaboration will be just as positive” he added.
- The Finisher® range of health and nutrition products, property of Kern Pharma, will be a sponsor of La Vuelta 22.
- The agreement is a commitment to La Vuelta 22 and makes Finisher® an official sponsor.
- Finisher® adds a new cycling sponsorship to its list, with agreements with La Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, the women’s reVolta and the Itzulia already under its belt.
More information about La Vuelta: www.lavuelta.com
Kévin Van Melsen Launches the Development Project Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert in 2023
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux will launch its development project from the 1st of January 2023 under the direction of Kévin Van Melsen. The Belgian historical rider of the team since 2009 will end his career as a professional rider in the autumn of 2022 to become Sports Director in the new development team of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.
The structure Continuum Sports Belgium, overarching already the teams UCI World Team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux and UCI Cyclo Cross Team Tormans, is concerned about the development of young riders and will integrate a UCI Continental Team in its pyramid from the 1st of January 2023. This development programme will make it possible for around fifteen riders to benefit from the professionalism and experience of the structure and the Performance division of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux and to become its talent pool.
Jean-François Bourlart (CEO Continuum Sports Belgium): “We’re sensible to the development of young riders, because I don’t forget that our team, when I took it over in 2001, was only a local amateur club. The VC Ath enabled young riders of our region to do their passion. Our structure evolved, but our formative DNA didn’t disappear. We already distributed an envelope of 15000 euros to support the Walloon development clubs through a call for projects last autumn and we want to continue doing this in the future to reinforce the base of the pyramid. So it was an evidence to complete our project by a UCI Continental Team in order to form young riders and to bring them to the highest level. I’m pleased with the support of our historical and technical partners who accompany us in this project. I’m very happy that Kévin accepted to take on the role of sports director in this project. He’s a historical element, climbing up the ladder together with our project. Our road captain has always been attentive to the needs of the young riders who joined our World Tour structure, so I’m convinced that he’ll be the perfect coach to guide the riders of our Continental team.”
This new team will be registered as a UCI Continental Team and will offer a national and international programme to around fifteen young Walloon, Belgian and international talents. It will also open doors to a large programme on the professional level, by integrating the professional core into the one of the development in certain races with the goal to detect the talents who will make Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux shine in the future.
Kévin Van Melsen: “I’m very happy and honoured to be a part of this project. After a career of twelve years as a professional rider I can give my experience to younger ones, which will be an enriching experience for me. We’re determined to bring the best out of the qualities of our future riders by giving them the opportunity to perform with the best possible equipment and by offering each of them an adapted annual plan. In this way, we want to prepare our riders to make a step in their career, hoping that they will become a part of the World Team on the long term.”
Baloise to Stay with Sport Vlaanderen for Two More Years
Good news for Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise. Baloise Insurance has extended its sponsorship contract with the ProTeam for another two years. This means that Christophe Sercu team is assured of the support of the insurer until the end of 2024.
Baloise Insurance has been a sponsor of the ProTeam for fourteen years. Team manager Sercu is happy with the extended collaboration, he said in a press release: “Thanks to the extension of this sponsor deal, the continuity of our work through Baloise Insurance is again assured for at least two years. Thanks to their support, we can further polish rough diamonds and hopefully let them grow. We are delighted that we have always been able to count on Baloise Insurance in good and bad days.”
Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise is known for its training of young talents, who have progressed to the WorldTour several times in the past. Tom Steels, winner of eleven stages in the Grand Tours, Mario Aerts, winner of the Flèche Wallonne, Stijn Devolder twice Ronde van Vlaanderen, Sep Vanmarcke and world hour record holder Victor Campenaerts grew into full-fledged professional cyclists. Yves Lampaert, winner of the opening time trial of the Tour de France, also started his career with the team.
Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise won a stage this season with Rune Herregodts in the Vuelta a Andalucía. Sasha Weemaes also triumphed this year in the Maarten Wynants Trophy. In an interview with WielerFlits, sports director Hans De Clercq hinted that both riders are ready for the step higher, just like Arne Marit, Robbe Ghys and Jens Reynders. The team is already looking for their replacements. “We have a list of more than twenty young riders that we follow very closely. Six or seven are noted and are already eligible for 2023.”
Egan Bernal Might Return in the Vuelta a Burgos
Egan Bernal is slowly but surely preparing for his return to the peloton. The Vuelta a Burgos, which starts on Tuesday, August 2, may be his first race since his serious accident in January, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Italian sportspaper says that the INEOS Grenadiers rider will complete an altitude training camp in Andorra from July 5 to 25. The Colombian joins a group of teammates who are working towards the Vuelta a España, which starts on Friday, August 19 in Utrecht. The other riders are Laurens De Plus, Ethan Hayter, Carlos Rodríguez and Pavel Sivakov.
More clarity is expected about the comeback of 25-year-old Bernal in mid-July. One possibility on the table and most likely at the moment is the Vuelta a Burgos (August 2-6). Last year, the Colombian also competed in the Spanish stage race. He also might participate in the Vuelta a España.
Bernal was seriously injured in a collision with a bus on January 24 during a training ride on his time trial bike. He broke his femur, kneecap and several vertebrae in the process. He also suffered a collapsed lung. The winner of the 2019 Tour de France and the 2021 Giro d’Italia underwent multiple surgeries, but is now back in training.
Bernal back soon?
Lotto Soudal Does Not Want to Let De Gendt Go
Thomas De Gendt has extended his contract at Lotto Soudal with 2 years. The breakaway king will continue to share his experience with the young and talented Belgian WorldTour squad. “I am very curious for the evolution of the team in the coming years and very happy to be a part of that.”
De Gendt is, with his 8 years of service, one of the most experienced riders of the Lotto Soudal team. He has developed himself into an attacker and stage hunter, with stage wins in all grand tours over the years. “Thomas De Gendt in the breakaway in a Lotto Soudal jersey: that is a familiar sight for every cycling fan”, says Lotto Soudal CEO John Lelangue. “Although we all know him as someone who jokes around and never gives up, last season has not been easy for him. Therefore, I am very happy to see his strong comeback this year. First of all, he has worked very hard for the team every time we needed him. But with his stage win in the Giro has proven once again what everybody already knew: with Thomas De Gendt you are never done.”
Just as Lelangue, De Gendt is very satisfied with his prolonged stay at the team. “In this team I have been able to become the rider that I always wanted to be: an attacker,” says De Gendt. “The past 8 years have been a success for the most part of it, with beautiful victories and great memories. I am looking forward to adding another 2 years.”
De Gendt is full of ambition about his own future and that of the team. “I am very curious for the evolution of the team in the following years, with young talents as Maxim Van Gils or Arnaud De Lie and also the new cosponsor coming on board. Although it will become harder and harder for me, my goal still remains to win races. Next to that, I hope to help the team whenever I can.”
Two more years for Thomas De Gendt with Lotto:
Arjen Livyns – First New Signing for Lotto-Dstny
Lennert Van Eetvelt moves on from the training team to Lotto-Dstny. The 27-year-old West Fleming comes from Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces WB.
Arjen Livyns is a late bloomer. Via a number of continental teams, including Veranda’s Willems, Pauwels Sauzen-Vastgoedservice and BEAT Cycling, he ended up at ProTeam Veranda’s Willems-Crelan in 2018, which became Roompot-Charles a year later. Since 2020 he has been part of Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces WB. Last year Livyns drew attention a few times in the spring classics. This year he confirmed with good places in Gent-Wevelgem and Brussels Cycling Classic. Apart from the cobblestone classics, he can also ride the Ardennes classics.
According to sources, there is currently a verbal agreement with manager John Lelangue’s team and he will soon sign a two-year contract. Lelangue, who previously said that despite the departure of Tim Wellens and the retirement of Philippe Gilbert, he is not immediately aiming at attracting expensive top riders.
Arjen Livyns moves up:
Euskaltel-Euskadi Signs Xabier Berasategi
Xabier Berasategi will make his debut with the pros next year. The 21-year-old Spaniard has signed a two-year contract with ProTeam Euskatel-Euskadi. Berasategi is known as a promising rider who has already shown great things in the Spanish amateur and U23 categories.
In recent years, the Basque has also competed in the Giro d’Italia U23. Last year he finished 22nd overall, this year 25th. In the fifth stage to Peveragno, won by the Belgian Gil Gelders, he crossed the line in fourth. He also finished sixth in the Spanish U23 road championship last Saturday.
Xabier Berasategi:
Bioracer’s ‘My Journey My Jersey’ launches with Tom Pidcock
Tom Pidcock, INEOS Grenadiers and Bioracer have collaborated to produce a stunning limited edition jersey design for fans, inspired by his journey so far which is available to buy now.
The jersey design process has been documented in a content series where insights from the 22-year-old racers’ career, from his first riding memories at home in Yorkshire to becoming world and Olympic champion, were used to craft this unique jersey.
The end result is the Pidcock Edition jersey – full of style, inspiration and all the performance capabilities associated with Bioracer.
The jersey was designed by Tom, using Bioracer’s ‘Design Your Own’ simulator. Fans can quickly and easily become the designers of their very own custom jerseys, created to their unique specification by the same Bioracer team who kit out the INEOS Grenadiers.
Anyone can create their own custom kit at Bioracer.com today
Capturing the design process from inspiration to finished product, in a brand new video Tom talks us through his dream jersey, calling upon cherished memories, design cues, big wins and cycling heroes. The Brit, who is currently taking part in his debut Tour de France, was then able to witness his design come to life by following the production process at Bioracer’s Belgian HQ.
Tom Pidcock visited the Bioracer factory to help create his new jersey and spoke about his design inspiration
Jeroen Peeters, Bioracer, said: “We are very excited to launch this first limited edition “My Journey, My Jersey”. Having Tom Pidcock as the first rider in this series to tell his story and design his own custom cycling jersey felt like the perfect fit. Since he was a little boy, Tom was already riding his race bike in Bioracer. Now, many years later, he is racing again in Bioracer as a World Champion Cyclo-cross, an Olympic MTB Champion, and one of the most promising talents in the World Tour.”
“At Bioracer, we produce each year more than 12,000 unique custom cycling apparel designs worldwide. In this new content series it is great to see the enthusiasm of the INEOS Grenadiers riders to design their own jersey. They experience the same process as our customers all over the world: design your custom jersey with one of our designers at the Bioracer Design Studio, validate it in 3D, and watch the amazing result when you try it on for the very first time.”
“As the original custom brand in cycling – founded in Belgium, the heartland of cycling – we have more than 35 years of experience creating custom apparel for millions of riders worldwide. Whether you are a professional team like the INEOS Grenadiers or a local group of friends searching for a cool new cycling kit in your custom design.”
The jersey is available to buy now from the INEOS Grenadiers Store and the Bioracer Official Store.
Cycling fans can create their own custom jersey at Bioracer.com
The Paul Sherwen Project Goes for the Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France 2022
Four Weeks – Four Ways to Give
Matany Girls’ Vocational School Beneficiary of Fundraising Efforts to include…
- In-Person and Online Behind the Scenes of the Tour with Phil Liggett
- DeFeet Socks reimagines the Paul Sherwen Project Cycling sock
- “Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift” deep dive with Olympic Silver Medalist and World Champion Mari Holden & U.S. Cycling Hall of Famer, Sean Petty
- Be a Champion for girls’ education! Make or join your own fundraising team for the Paul Sherwen Project
The Paul Sherwen Project, created to honour Tour de France commentator and former professional cyclist, the late Paul Sherwen, continues to support the Matany Girls’ Vocational School, founded by Paul’s dear friend Florence Naduk, with four donor opportunities during the Tour de France.
First, Phil Liggett, the “Voice of Cycling” who is celebrating his Golden Anniversary commentating on the Tour de France and his golden friendship with Paul Sherwen, is using his rest days on-site during the 3-week race to meet with donors to share updates from Behind the Scenes of the Tour.
Those in France who donate $250 or more can join Phil in person on July 11 for a 1.5-hour race analysis and Q&A session (limited to 50 participants).
Then, on July 18, anyone from around the world who donates $500 can join Phil online for one hour for additional behind-the-scenes tales from The Tour (limited to 10 participants).
In addition, on August 1, Olympic Silver Medalist and World Champion, Mari Holden and cycling Hall of Famer, Sean Petty will bring insights, race analyses & field questions on “Le Tour de Femmes avec Zwift”. Online for everyone interested in all the excitement of the women’s race. A $100 donation is required and is limited to 20 participants.
Details of these events can be found at www.paulsherwenproject.com.
DeFeet Reimagines the Paul Sherwen Project Sock
Just in time for the Tour de France DeFeet International, a North Carolina-based cycling microsockery, has reimagined the Paul Sherwen Project sock. Inspired by the jerseys of the Tour de France, the new PSP sock is knitted from Repreve, a unique fiber manufactured in North Carolina from recycled post-consumer water bottles. The sock design features KOM/QOM red dots flanked by one yellow and one green stripe around the cuff with a red outline of the PSP logo on the back for all those drafting on your wheel to see. The new Paul Sherwen Project DeFeet sock retails for $14.99 with all proceeds going to support the Matany Girls’ Vocational School. Consumers can visit this link to purchase these gorgeous, sustainable socks.
“DeFeet grew up with the Tour. We are inspired by the colour of the race as well as the colour Paul brought to the broadcast, which is reflected in the new design of the Paul Sherwen Project sock,” noted Shane Cooper, founder and CEO of DeFeet International. “We are honoured to continue to support the work of Paul’s family and friends to educate young girls in Uganda, Paul’s adopted home.”
The Paul Sherwen Project is raising money to support the Matany Girls’ Vocational School (MGVS). Located in Karamoja, Uganda, the school’s mission is to empower young women in the region by teaching relevant vocational and life skills for employment and job creation. Creating a vocational school focusing on girls was a project dear to Paul’s heart and one he supported with confidence knowing the value of empowering women and their ability to change society for the better from the grassroots up.
Become a Champion for the Young Women of Karamoja
In addition to the events above, the cycling community can help the Paul Sherwen Project realise Paul’s dream for Uganda by helping to fundraise for Matany Girls. The nonprofit has created a peer-to-peer fundraising event allowing anyone to create a team or join a team in just three easy steps. Everyone who joins and raises $1000 or more, will be entered into a drawing to win a two-night stay at Ukhozi Lodge at Kariega, a luxury game reserve in South Africa. Click here for details.
“We are honoured by the outpouring of donations from around the world in support of one of Paul’s passions, elevating the people of Uganda,” shared Phil Liggett, chairman of the board of the Paul Sherwen Project. “We still have more money to raise in order to complete the new workshop named in honour of Paul and hope the cycling community will help us reach our goal.”
“The continued support of those who treasured Paul is overwhelming and humbling. The many messages we’ve received of how Paul positively impacted so many, warms our hearts,” said Katherine Love Sherwen. “We are grateful for DeFeet International for continuing to support our efforts and so appreciative of Mari Holden and Sean Petty for their time and energy to help us raise funds to support Matany Girls. Thank you.”
Opening its doors in November 2020, Matany Girls’ Vocational School currently teaches hospitality and catering, tailoring, and hairdressing. With capacity for a total student body of 120 at any given time, the school’s design plan calls for a workshop to house a kitchen for catering classes and a salon for hairdressing skills training. With the completion of this building, MGVS is poised to be a full-service vocational institution, the first of its kind in the region. The importance of this is paramount to its mission, as this school will allow these girls to be educated near their home, within their own community, and with positive role models of what Karamajong women can achieve.
About the Paul Sherwen Project
The Paul Sherwen Project is a 501C-3 Corporation founded by the family and friends of the late Paul Sherwen to continue the good he was enacting in Uganda. Paul raced in the Tour de France seven times before becoming television commentary partners with Phil Liggett, where their voices became synonymous with the Tour de France. Paul called Uganda home and was passionate about investing in the people and future of the region, thus the Paul Sherwen Project is continuing his mission. For more information, visit www.paulsherwenproject.com.
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The PEZ NEWSWIRE!
Don’t forget to check the “NEWSWIRE” section, you can find it on the homepage, just above the PEZ Shop section. The bits of news that missed the EuroTrash deadline are in there, plus any news as-it-happens will be added there too.
Any comments drop me a line, at: [email protected] or Twitter. And check the PezCyclingNews Twitter and Facebook Page. And say hi on Zwift when you pass me.
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